The Importance of Human Resource Management in the 21st Century

Based on the module, we were given details related to the Contemporary Developments in HRM which was subsequently succeeded with the sessions within the module. It was very critical to have a proper to have a deeper understanding of the Contemporary Developments in HRM then later begin the module sessions. There was a significant contribution by Dr. Simon Parker in providing a highlight and giving vivid directions in the above area of study.

, I have gained expansive knowledge in areas related to Contemporary Developments in HRM which was based on the module outcome. I have acquired an in-depth understanding of Leucocratic Control put forward by scholars and even could provide a difference between neo-normative control and normative control. Lastly, I have had the advantage of gaining knowledge on how to give oversight to people through Uberification, including the positive and negative effects of the above methods.

Based on the module, I gained an understanding of the arising issues, especially in HRM practices and organizational behavior. Additionally, I was able to research o other topics such as the kinds of organizations, technology, managerial control, sustainability and identity issues.  I was also able to effectively critique and provide proper reasoning on the topics based on the examples I gained.

There were also some instructed methods. The above techniques were considered necessary as a way of giving us a better understanding of our personality and ways of overcoming disagreements. I will need possible gain from the module through the application of theories and preparation for gainful employment.

Employment Relations

The thought of going through an Employment Relations class brought mixed reactions to me. However, the teacher, Dr. Davide Però made sure that everyone was comfortable and ready to adapt to the learning environment. Attending the Employment Relations module gave me a better understanding of the subject. I gained a proper opinion on the actor in employment relationships including the significant HRM frames and the negotiation of the actors. I also gathered knowledge on the influence that globalization has had on employment relations and the contribution of immigrant populations. I also gained an understanding of ‘precarity’ and gained proper knowledge on the relationship between contemporary employment and the existing social divisions. The course has, among other things, taught me the importance of trade unions in championing for the rights of employees from disadvantaged backgrounds.

I have also learned the value of ethical work behaviour and the role of HRM in promoting work ethics. Additionally, I have gained relevance of the part of employee relations in building an understanding between employees and their employers. The role of employee relationship has come to help in establishing e proper work-based understanding. The improvement of business outcome may be achieved through appropriate employee participation and growth of the employee welfare.

I have understood that employee relations heavily borrow from other disciplines such as sociology, HRM or Industrial Relations. The module has also helped me to understand the human development of employee skills within organizations. Other valuable lessons that I have learned include the employee motivation, resource management, and even policy engagements. The module has also improved my ability to solve ethical issues including an appreciation of the corporate social responsibility.

International human resource management

I was overwhelmed to join the International Human Resource Management classes. Despite being nervous, the teacher Dr. Ziming Cai was responsible for providing us with a proper learning environment. We began by understanding the basics in international HRM and the module sessions. A basic understanding was very critical in building our confidence before handling more complex concepts.

The introduction of the module made us understand the difference between IHRM and HRM as a module. We also gained an understanding of the relationship between IHRM to the development of employee reward systems, employee performance, and staffing issues. We also gained recognition of the advantages and disadvantages associated with the organizational expatriates and the various challenges that they come across.

The module also helped to gain an apparent understanding of certain concepts which include the overall idea of expatriates. I understood that the international staffing approach and the various features, advantages, and disadvantages associated with the global staffing process. I also gained a broad view of the international work schedules, including the multiple shortcomings of expatriates and how to overcome such shortfalls.

Dr. Ziming Cai also assisted me in understanding the assessment of the various convergent and divergent issues in IHRM. The teacher used the example of (Sara,2016) in explaining the similarity in organization convergence at the macro level, while still retaining their cultural relevance within the different areas. There are a lot of the relevant regions within the module that I will use in enhancing my life skills, including the employee expectations.

Managing organizations

Despite the right feeling and nervousness when joining the class of Managing Organizations, Dr. Sara Turner was useful in helping us settle for the course and made it extremely interactive. The teacher gave us the general introductory understanding of organizations, including the various principles and management practices in the leadership of such firms. The approach adopted by Dr. Sara of first laying the foundation of understanding the subject was useful before moving into particular concepts within the module.

The module introduced me to various concepts within the management of organizations. I entirely came to appreciate the differences between the changes in the organizational life and its stability. Additionally, I fully understood the concept of management change and how to handle issues related to the resistance to change. The module also increased my understanding of organizational culture and the best ways of managing culture. I also understood the career development processes and how different people contribute towards my career growth. I also developed ideas on how to appreciate innovation as a leader.

We earned leadership approaches and how they may contribute to our future career development. We identified the fact that different approached work with different personalities and that we should have the abilities of conflict resolution based on the approaches. The lesson from the module will be useful in my career development journey. The career development path will be enhanced through the through module coverage. Much of the contribution was based on the splendid input by the module teacher.

Organization development

The module focuses on the contribution of human behaviour in the organizational development and change process. The significant contribution of the module was related to the shifts in the functions of Human Resource including how it enhances an organization’s competitive advantage and its general contribution to a firm. The module also contributed to the general understanding of the skill development which is an integral part of the public organization’s growth process. The organization development process through skills development involved processes such as proper decision-making processes, integration of technology into the organization, promotion of team spirit among employees and the general skills development through employee training.

The module was critical in providing me with knowledge of the planning process of the Organization Development process. I understood that the deliberate efforts to plan an OD system involve the process of improving on the level of operational efficiency and effectiveness with a view of improving the overall performance. The module also made me realize that the transition process within an organization requires some steps. First, to enhance the positive outcome, the OD process must always consider the various compositions of a positive result. The training process should also be a significant component, but must only be done to suit the necessary job skills that are required. While reorganizing the organization, an employee understanding of the whole process should always be initiated. Additionally, the employees should be given direction on the organization’s expectations regarding the new changes. The employee must then conform to the original goals and aspirations.

Strategic Human Resource Management

The module made me realize that the employee is the most critical resources within an organization. I have learned that the HRM department is responsible for promoting the effectiveness of employees and enhance efficiency in the use of human resources within the frim. The concept of strategic human resource management was also tackled in the module. In being proactive, the managers must always rely on facts from information gathered. The teams must also enhance problem-solving methods aimed at breaking down each of the issues causing such problems. I hold the view that strategic HRM involves systemic planning processes and steps which positively influences the company performance and that f its employees. The concept requires the managers to have proper plans which may help to meet the needs of the company and the employees. Currently, employee skills and development are becoming increasingly crucial in the organizational development process. The value for a human resource may only be tapped through cooperation.

Through the module, I have learned that the significant role of the HRM function is to help in boosting the performance of employees. The positions of HRM function include increasing performance, employee compensation and engagement, and strategic alignment. In the contemporary organization, the role of SHRM has gone beyond the traditional HRM functions and now include aligning employee values and skills to their performance. Through the module, I have appreciated the role of HRM in impacting the business environment, improving employee behavior, improving reward systems and managing HR changes. I also recognized the importance of HRM functions in business decision making processes.

Reflections from the Leadership and Management Development

Based on the module teachings, I have gained insight into the need for personal leadership and management. The module has enlightened me on the importance of own awareness for managers and leaders alike. Despite most people being unable to lead other based on personal flaws such as psychological conditions, most persons can approve their leadership abilities. An intimate understanding and awareness have been proven to be the best basis for leadership development. Additionally, self-awareness is an essential determinant in understanding other people and their needs.

To lead others, I have learned that a person must have self-maturity and acceptance. To improve one’s leadership styles, it is essential to be aware of their level of skills, strengths, weaknesses, behavioural patterns and values. By having a proper understanding of all the above factors, a leader will have the ability to respond to different organizational issues effectively. Inability to have self-awareness may lead to mistrust issues and poor leadership styles. The module has taught me that leadership development may be enhanced by following a clear self-awareness path.

The process of self-awareness must always begin by having a proper understanding of the personal values. The individual values contribute to the leader’s exercise of power and even how they can control their influence. How people view, the leader will also likely influence the organizational conduct. Despite personal values changing the manager’s behavior, such benefits are always exercised without specific knowledge. 

Research methods

The research methods module has exposed me to an understanding of qualitative and quantitative methods. An understanding of qualitative methods has proved me to understand the various data collection method such as focus groups and interviews. I have also gained knowledge of the features of qualitative methods and the most relevant questions for the above methodology. The module has also given me proper research skills necessary for recognizing and appreciating qualitative methods. The blade has also helped me in conducting secondary data analysis and the preparation of research work. 

The module also exposed me to the importance of quantitative methods and their significance to consultants, business managers, and policymakers. I have gained knowledge of the data collection process and even analysis. The module has will also be important in preparing my questionnaire and data analysis process when I do my dissertation.

I also gained knowledge of data analysis tools such as STATA, necessary for complex data analysis. The above analysis tools also provide alternative programming for another advanced study. Despite the initial challenges in the use of the tool, the tutor was of help in grasping the concepts on the use of STATA.

Overall, the module consisted of sessions consisting of group discussions and reflections, both on an individual and group basis. The group reflections were an essential avenue for me to understand the module better and expand my knowledge on the emerging issues. The whole module has given me the ability to understand the concepts contained in qualitative and quantitative data handling methods. The analysis methods were also crucial in enhancing the objectives of the other modules which we learned in the program.